Just driving along and truck stated running really rough and smoking badly. Seems like its only running on 4 cyl. There is alot of cackling out the exhaust as rpms come up. All temps are in normal range. It pitched a 230 code, so I went and bought a fuel pressure gauge. I am getting 14 pounds at idle and it drops about 2 psi driving. Changed out the fuel filter same deal. I am kinda new to the diesel thing as I just bought this truck a month ago. Really need some directions to solving this problem. I limped the truck home 15 miles when this happened and have it parked. So I am without wheels. Help!!!! By the way I searched the forums for 3 days but nothing jumped out to help. Thanks for any reply and nice board.

 

update: The exhaust seems really wet with fuel also climbed under to check the turbo waste gate was not stuck. Seems like oily fuel is dripping slightly from the wastegate rod that goes into the exhaust housing. Its also starting to look wet between the exhaust manifold and turbo. Possibly a leaking injector? anyone?

 

Definitely a leaking injector! Stop running it until new injectors are installed, the fuel washes the oil off the cylinder walls and will do some serious damage.

 

Good point about fuel washing out the rings. Any tips about finding the leaking injector or should I bone up and buy some 275's? This would be my only other mod so far as I have a strait pipe. Or should I just stay with stockers until I get a computer programer.

 

I may be wrong but I think you could go with the injectors without the programmer and do the programmer later....but I am not as well versed as most of the guys around here. I think(scratch head here) that you could do the injectors.....some other guys should chime in soon to let you know for sure....

 

I hope it is just a bad injector. I can live with that because its a good excuse to bomb a bit. I just dont want to throw the truck way out of proportion and have to buy alot of other things to make it run right. If anyone would like to add so must haves to go with the injectors I am all ears. What of this boost elbow thing I have heard of? Also, just because I am wondering yet, if a injector is bad and leaking fuel, would that not make black smoke like over fueling? Because all my truck is blowing is white/grayish smoke that gets worse as it warms up more. Thanks.

 

I'm assuming you have an 01. White smoke, sounds like air in the system. I think on these I have seen the fuel heater leak....or suck air at the electrical connector.....yes at the electrical connector. I did a few and the other diesel tech in the shop did several, I actually have one of the leaking bass terds in my toolbox at work. What you do is unplug the fuel heater, located on the fuel pump, and blow pressurized air into fuel tank, NOT TO MUCH, just enough to put pressure on the fuel, then look and see if you can see fuel coming out of the socket where the connector goes on the fuel pump. If you unplug it and it is wet with fuel on the connector(may or may not be) that is a good indication also.

The last one I did like this the guy had to limp down the road on the side with his 4 ways on to make it to the dealer. When I took it around to the shop it was missing and when you floored it that cloud of white smoke. You won't see this leak while it is running cause it is actually sucking air into the system, hence the miss in your engine. I'm betting you'll find a leaking/sucking fuel heater. Hope this helps and gets ya back on the road!!

 

Exhaust wet with fuel doesn't sound like an air leak to me - but what do I know?

 

your right about that wannadiesel.....that's why I did not mention this before, that's the weird part, but when we had these ones with the leaking fuel heater connector.....we never did notice the exhaust.. It's one of those that would be better to get your hands on for the diagnostic part.

 

Well thats another thing to check out. Can I use the lift pump pressure without the truck running to spot a possible leak at the heater?

 

Yes, that would show any leaks on the low pressure system. I highly doubt that's the problem, your problem sounds like a stuck or broken injector.

 

Checked the low pressure side, no leaks that I can find all the way from injector pump to tank. Going to go get the injectors and try that. I think the RV 275 would be a safe upgrade for now.

 

Not a bad injector. Turns out one of the rocker arm bolts came loose and the pushrod jumped out of place on #3 intake valve. Checked out the pushrod for bends etc. Everything looked well enough so I put it all back together but used locktite on the bolt. Fired right up and not so much as a studder, just nice smooth idle. It smoked for about a minute then cleared up. So all is well again. Just time to adjust the valves. Thanks for all the help.